Is The Commerce Department Really Ready To Regulate The Internet?
Larry Strickling, the head of the National Telecommunications and Information Agency (a division of the Department of Commerce), gave a speech last week where he outlined, in broad strokes, a vision for “Internet Policy 3.0”, which suggested a much more hands-on approach to regulating the internet. This got some attention online, with some claiming that the US was “rescinding” its “leave internet alone policy.” That may be a stretch from what was actually said, but a lot of people are wondering what this really means. What Strickling was really talking about was rethinking the general policy towards some of the bigger internet challenges. In his mind, “Internet Policy 3.0” would be about ensuring users of the Internet are able to trust others that they deal with. This is certainly an issue to be dealt with. And he then lists out five areas where such concerns should take precedence: Privacy, Child Protection and Freedom of Expression, Cybersecurity, Copyright and Internet Governance. O
